PORTLAND, Ore. — A Northeast Portland bike shop is back up and running after a break-in last week. Surveillance video caught the culprit stealing bikes — among other items from the store.
The owner and operator, Nicholas Sorenson, started what would become "Something Cycles" in his basement during the pandemic. His current location on East Burnside Street has only been open about a year and a half, he figured that someone would try to break in at some point — but that doesn't mean he feels any less violated by this burglary.
"It's very stressful, especially just opening up and not having money in the bank, like I can't have anything happen to me right now because I'm just getting started," he said, "Basically, I like to take used bikes — I find them online — and bring them in here and get them ready to get back on the road."
Late last week, an unwanted visitor broke into the small shop, smashing glass and stealing bikes, cash and keys. Sorenson said whoever did this had enough time and the right tools to undo the security gate on the inside.
"This was still attached," he said, pointing to the hinges on the security gate. "It's bent up a little bit... it was just kind of hinged open, and they laid bikes down and got them through the gate."
Since the burglary, he's made some security improvements to deter criminals and to alert him sooner to a potential situation.
To other cyclists, he recommends taking pictures of your bike, getting the serial number, and registering it on Bike Index, a non-profit that runs a database, aimed at recovering stolen bicycles.